Russound Develops Xstream Wireless Music System

Wired or wireless

Russound, manufacturer of whole-house distributed audio systems, is going wireless with the new Xstream.

Actually, says Russound, the product will integrate both “wired and wireless systems to offer maximum installation flexibility,” which sounds good, because a wired connection is usually preferred if it’s possible. A wireless option helps solve installation problems, particularly in existing homes when drilling is frowned upon.

The company says the Xstream system connects to a user’s home network without a gateway or proprietary network device. Up to 16 independent audio zones can be created. The user can operate it with locally-wired keypads (such as Russound’s MDK-C6, SLK-1 or TS3) or iOS and Android apps. It can also be integrated with popular home automation systems.

“A plethora of the most popular on-board streaming services,” are said to be coming in a later announcement. We assume this means Xstream will offer things like Pandora, Spotify and TuneIn, but we’ll have to wait and see.